Communal
Searching for a way to mark a special moment in your community's life? Here you will find articles about rituals, teachings, and blessings to help you enhance these significant moments.
To access the Communal Archive, click here.
Soliciting Support
The root of the word Tzedakah is tzedek, and it resonates with justice and righteousness. Each time I do something that brings greater tzedek into the world, I am fulfilling the mitzvah of tzedakah and I become a partner for goodness. When I seek ever greater tzedek, I turn to others to join me as partners in repairing this world. When I prepare to solicit another human being in support of my very good cause, I am asking that human being to become a partner in righting the imbalances that surround us. Together, we become revolutionary activists to change the painful conditions we see; together, we immerse ourselves in the activities of Torah.
But you must know this: Before I solicit anyone I feel tremendous tension. I worry: Is the passion we feel sufficiently deep and mutual? Have I chosen the right time—in this history of our relationship and the life of the cause-- to ask? Will we both recognize that this is not about money alone?
Before a solicitation, I think about God and Moses, together at the burning bush. They were both tense: God, to ask that a commitment be made; and Moses, to be asked to make an awesome commitment. So I remind myself: at "burning bush moments," we need to surmount our fears about asking and being asked. We need to emboldened by the sacred purposes we share.
Meditation:
May we know your presence when we work together to repair the world.
Hareini m’kabel L(m’kabelet) alai mitzvat haborei: v’ahavta l’reyacha kamokha.
I hereby accept the obligation of fulfilling my creator’s mitzvah in the Torah:
Love your neighbor as yourself.
(Morning prayer)
Ritual:
Before you pick up the phone, knock on the door or compose your letter, pause to prepare yourself. Remember: you are not doing this work alone. You are a partner of God, and you are about to encounter an image of God.
Blessing:
Blessed is the Source of Life who elevates us to sacredness and bids us to immerse ourselves fully in the activities of Torah.
Teaching:
"Now the cry of the Israelites has reached Me; moreover, I have seen how the
Egyptian oppress them. Come, therefore I will send you to Pharoah, and you shall free My
people, the Israelites, from Egypt." But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I
should go to Pharoah and free the Isarelites from Egypt?" And He said, "I will
be with you; that shall be your sign that it was I who send you . And when you have freed
the people from Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain."
(Exodus 3:9-12)
"Tell the people of Israel to bring me gifts; you shall accept gifts for me from
every person whose heart is so moved."
(Exodus 25:2)
"And everyone who excelled in ability and everyone who spirit moved him came,
bringing…his offering…and all the wise women spun with their own hands and
brought what they had spun…"
(Exodus 35:25)
"Your maidservant, who now stands before You, have taken upon myself, as a vow, to
collect funds for tsedoke and to help the poor and the needy. As God is my witness, I do
this with all my heart for the sake of the mitsve itself and not – khas vesholom --
for honor and recognition. I beseech You, God who is good and does good, to deal with me
granciously and to stengthen my heart, that I may be life You, always good and ready to do
good to others. Strengthen me and encourage me, make me strong and brave, so that I may be
able to devote myself to this mitzve as long as I live."
(Tkhine For A Woman Who Collects Tsedoke: The Merit of Out Mothers)
Pote’ach et yadekha, u’masbi’a l’khol chai ratzon.
Your open hand sustains life.
(CLAL Faculty)
To join the conversation for Communal, click here.
To access the Communal Archive, click here.
To receive the Communal column by email on a regular basis, complete the box below:
